On the same day Tesla showed off the capabilities of its new Roadster, including flipping through the air over the company’s entire lineup of EVs, flying car startup Alef Aeronautics shared a stunt of its own. The company released a video Thursday showing its electric flying car soaring over an older Tesla Roadster.
In the video, Alef’s car can be seen taking off vertically and flying over several vehicles, including a Tesla Cybertruck and a Roadster. The company says the stunt marks its 1,000th logged flight.
“Welcome Tesla to the flying car race, we’ve been here alone for eleven years. Having competition is a good thing, especially from such a major company as Tesla,” said Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny in a press release. “It proves the market, establishes a separate flying car category, creates industry for lobbying specific regulations, brings investor focus, helps compare technology, and creates a benchmark to measure against.
The announcement also made it clear that the new Roadster “became the second flying car in history, after Alef.”
Alef released the video the same day Tesla unveiled its long-awaited, next-generation Roadster at an event Thursday night. At the event, the new Roadster accelerated from zero to 60 miles per hour in just under a second with the help of cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX. It also drove upside down along a curved ramp using a fan-powered suction system. The Roadster then launched itself into the air and performed a midair flip over a lineup of Tesla vehicles, including its electric Semi truck, before landing back on its wheels.
While Tesla’s Roadster and Alef’s Model A share some similarities, including being fully electric and having the ability to get off the ground, they take very different approaches to “flying.” The companies also share an early investor in venture capitalist Tim Draper.
Unlike Tesla’s Roadster, which uses cold-gas thrusters to briefly propel itself into the air, Alef’s vehicle relies on distributed electric propulsion (DEP). Alef also says its vehicle is different from other flying car concepts because it’s designed to both drive on regular roads and take off vertically.
For many reasons, Alef may be a little generous in declaring Tesla’s Roadster the “second flying car in history.” Is a car shot out of a catapult a flying car?
Founded in 2015 in San Mateo, California, Alef set out to develop a road-legal passenger car capable of vertical takeoff and forward flight. The startup developed its first flying car prototype in 2019 and unveiled its full-size Model A prototype in 2022. The company says that model has a driving range of 220 miles and a flying range of 110 miles.
In 2023, Alef received a special airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), making it the “first true flying car” recognized by the U.S. government, according to the company.
Alef claims to have already received more than 3,600 preorders, worth roughly $1 billion at the vehicle’s advertised price. The Model A starts at $299,999, according to the company’s website, and interested buyers can reserve one with a deposit of at least $150.
Still, customers shouldn’t expect to start flying over traffic anytime soon. According to Electrek, Alef expects to deliver its first batch of vehicles to a limited number of early customers by the end of this year. Those vehicles, however, will be used for “the purpose of testing flying cars in the real-world environment, under very controlled conditions.” The startup plans to ramp up production in 2027.
Meanwhile, the Roadster will allegedly go into production in 2028, but given Elon Musk’s track record with promises, don’t bet on it.
Alef did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
